Theos-Talk Archives (January 1995 Message tl00219)

Continuing on the spectrum of spirit in art and its synthesis in
the ancient wisdom along with religion, sicence and philosophy,
we might make the following assertions:

1) All art is creative intelligence manifesting itself in time in
form.

2) All art is spiritual

3) All art presupposes consciousness relating to consciousness
(or itself).  Art relates or uncovers that which is occult,
hidden, unknowable - the consciousness of another or one'self.

4) All art is transformative on a least one level: physical,
emotional, social, conceptual, intuitive or unitive.

5) The goal of art depends on the artist, the highest art
transforms on the highest level and the lowest art transforms on
the lowest level.  This principle aplies to any level in between
or any combination of levels.

6) The universe itself is a work of art as process with a plan
and a purpose and is in a long process of "artfull" progress
through conscious (skillful and yes, slyly clever) evolution.

7) Man is a work of art in microcosm form reflecting the
macrocosm.

I may be preaching to the choir, as it were.  I feel these idea
are probably not shocking to theosophists becauses we are used to
thinking of the universe as primarily spiritual from top to
bottom.  Matter being only bound or frozen spirit.  And spirit or
may be converted to matter and vice versa as in E=MC2.

But I think there implications are largely ignored by society in
general as in the issue of pornography.

It is my opinion that pornography is very spiritual in a negative
direction.  I think it lowers the consciousness of both those
that make and those that view it.  The position of the ACLU is
that pornogrpahy is another job option for women and should be
protected so that these women and men get proper legal protection
in regards to health insurance, equal opportunity, fair labor
practices etc.  Some come down very hard on the idea of freedom
of speech.  In America we are free to say read and view anything
as long as it doesn't harm someone physically or involve abusing
a child, but it seems that more and more the choice is toward the
lowest common denominator witness the proliferation of tawdry
talk shows and the dearth of intelligent discussion of the
budget, crime, role of government in our private and business
lives etc.

Well, I am all for free speech.  But I am also for the awareness
that the type of art we are exposed to directly or indirectly (as
in copious advertising) transforms our consciousness if only for
a short time.  Some are strong and have adequate defense
mechanisms for pornography and violence on TV and in the movies.

A steady diet of pornography and violence would certainly
transform one.  It has many.

Hopefully a higher art will prevail among more than the elite.
Here's looking at you kid.

Namaste
Keith Price